sawyer04

Some pee head used my credit card to buy i-tunes. I am doing more than change my password. I will not use paypal period. I called paypal and got to talk to a person in the phillipines. I told them I wanted to talk to a U.S. representive. I got a philipino supervisor which could speak a little better english than the first person. NOPE, no PayPal for me. Sure the insurance took care of the charge, but if you don't check your account often some pee head will test it with small purchases and if they get by with it they will continue on to larger charges.

Unrelated to smithing I put vinegar in a rusty motorbike tank and let set for four days. Put the vinegar back in the orginal jugs and put some acetone in tank to vaporize . Air dried and filled with gasoline. I was leary, but it worked.

Sounds like you guys have so called propane installers working for the company. All these guys want to do around here is pump gas and charge the bill. Something about insurance.

I have only played blacksmith for a hobby, not wanting to make it a business, but have had several things going, farming, garage, lawn service, construction in the last 40 years and one thing I know is the make it or break it is in the office. I was never too bright about office work. I hired a bookeeper, found a good one and kept him.

I am afraid my experiences with unions of the trades have been negative, starting in the mid 80's to present time.I see shoddy craftsmanship. I complain to the contractor and get a stuff shirt union representive trying to convince me the project is of quality. I have seen union starting late and quiting early, but still under wages. The unions were needed for safety and honest wages in the early years, but as in Europe the unions, maybe not all, have become socialistic. I still see many blue collars working an honest day for wages, but they are plagued with having to work with incompetent and lazy peers because of union protection. They pay their dues and get coaxed along by white collar stuff shirts that unity is the word. The early years I work as a contractor with union and we appreciated each other and yes, I needed my ears pinned back a time or two. I am retired as of 7 years ago because it was time, but I think the unions need to really look at their agendas and pick their leaders wisely. I feel they are in for some hard times if they don't get off the high horse. I know several good union masons, carpenters, and tile layers off work because of the economy, or is it they priced themselves out of the market?

Price doesn't look bad, but the shipping breaks the deal

I think this is why we have the quality of merchandise we buy, Our society is getting to lazy and stupid to care about quality. In the old days it wasn't complicated to get a machine repaired. Good machinist were in old barns and garages scattered around the country with dated and self made equipment, now mostly the metropoliton areas have good, capable shop equipment, but no craftsman to operate them. I see a lot of college hamburger turners, and it is a job, but hardly worth the money for college training. Who is the cause of this dilemma of tradesmen demise? Look in the mirror, we are.

I wonder if the people that own these palces are as happy as a fellow that steps in a little tin shed laced with tools mostly made by himself and has no debt.

I like the idea of rattlers without rattles, and as as far as I am concerned a thief needs an arranged meeting with his maker. I know about where thieves live around me, but I actually get along with them, I have given them old air conditioners and steel I have no use for, but then again I always have a 38 special on my hip or near in the shop.

All I have ever done was grind brush hog blades and kept the heat down. If it is an actual brush hog it doesn't have to be sharp like a finishing mower. I draw the old style plow shears and hard surface them, that might work on some of the old brush hogs. If they get to that point we buy new blades.

Wow, this thread went buzzing over the top of my head, but I have smashed my thumb under a hammer and almost puked, I understand that one.

Drafted 1969 and didn't like it one bit. Didn't agree with the idea of killing the yellow man, I Corp, Americal division. Came back to the states bitter as hell carrying a Silver Star, purple heart and a bronze star with v device. Couldn't get hired for a job cleaning toilets. Some of you guys know what the score was back then. Retired in 93 from Army and Army Reserves with a firm belief that a soldier is trained to do a job and it's not being butt wipers for third world countries.

I had mud daubers in my blower and soybeans. I have found a mouse nest and a screwdriver in other blowers I have aquired.

I believe that would make a great conversation piece for the shop sitters to ponder over coffee.

I like the older machines beause they are copper wound and in my opinion hold their power longer, but repairs are hard to find unless it is a brand name and even then takes a while to get spare parts. I try to keep spare parts on the shelf or donor machines in storage. I have never tried the less expensive new machines because of the luck I have had with other tools of less expense.

I used to work for a propane company and propane will go to the lowest point down,where as natural gas will flow to the highest point. We would pour propane gas out of a coffee can like water. We would pour natural gas to a coffee can held over the lower can. Now back when OSHA was not such a pain the propane gas would be ignited in the bottom coffee can and natural gas would be ignited in the coffee can held open end down just to prove the point. The tempature being 40 degree and the proper humidity could be the reason the propane went to lower cylinder. The humidity will cause a propane cylinder or tank to sweat and it is possible to guage how much liquid gas is in the tank by sweat ring around the tank. Just a little two cents to add to the confusion

I had one bolted on the D6, old cable operated bulldozer to cut the cable when it needed to be replaced or shortened.

I smoked briar pipes with a cavandish blend and Dutch masters cigars. Been 10 years now since I have smelled a good pipe or cigar.

Looks like a belt pulley to me. That being said I would motorize it with a reduction pulley set up.

Ah, I just let the collectors go at it, I pounded on a rail iron for a while until I found the Peter Wright. I had just as much enjoyment out of the railroad iron as I am just tinkering, but if I made it my business I would purchase or make a power hammer. The fun and feeling of accomplishment is to do with what you have in my case. I make my own rifle repairs with modern hand tools. The old timers made beautiful pieces with hand made tools, drills and files. So, let the collectors go at it. I think some of them are a very entertaining and interesting.

The first time I fired my gas forge I wondered if she was going to blow, most racket I ever heard out of a forge.

I was thinking you ask a kid and you will be told if a person is a smithy. Seems they know and at least the ones I know, not the least bit intimidated by noise and coal dust. I am really just a farmer, but always have a trinket made of scrap for the little ones.

That is a great buy for a compressor, just needs a little TLC. My first air compressor was off of a refrigerator. Yeah, it was slow but I was poor back in 1967. I have still got it for use on an air brush.

I purchased a drill doctor and have tried to use it reading and rereading the directions. I don't care for it's results. I just went back to hand and eye sharpening. I have a sharpener that General tool designed for a bench grinder, but never used it..

I use Bullet brand mostly and like has been said seems like the cheapos work well for the money.